"I would like to go on record and confirm that everything Miyu reported was true," Haruna finally said. "However, I have one last piece of information I wish to share with all of you about that night that I did not tell anyone else, even Miyu…"

"H-Haruna…?"

"Oh, not another dramatic reveal!" Shinobu complained. "What happened to the No-Confession rule?"

"You're the only one who signed off on that, Shinobu," Kyoko chuckled darkly.

Haruna bit her lip guiltily. "I know we have damaged our credibility in your eyes, but please, a moment of your time, for this is a matter most important. Everyone's lives depend on it." Despite themselves, even the most resistant finally yielded to hearing Haruna's request after that grim reminder. "Can we really assume that Kurumi's death was the result of the injections?"

"Oh my God, ok, that's it, I quit!" Shinobu facepalmed so hard that the smack was heard around the trial room.

"Oh, calm down, Shinobu," Esora rolled her eyes and sighed.

"You're one to talk!" Yuka cried, but Esora ignored her.

Haruna, meanwhile, addressed them all calmly, though her questions were pointed at Miyu. "Listen to what I have to say, then decide for yourselves." Those more shameless about how overtly or intensely they got into the trial antics closed their eyes. They envisioned themselves on motorcycles, racing down signpost-ridden streets. Every signpost was a question guiding them towards their final destination: the truth.

What happened after Miyu injected Kurumi?

She was temporarily revived, then she began to die again.

What did Haruna ask Miyu to do after that?

To fetch an empty syringe so that Haruna could extract the dangerous concoction from Kurumi's veins.

What happened when Miyu returned with the empty syringe?

Kurumi was dead, and Haruna was holding her in her arms.

It was something Miyu never even thought could be questioned; it was an obvious moment of love between two friends—two family members—as one died in the arms of the other. But what if the reason one died was because the other made it so?

"S-s-s-strangulation…?" Miyu felt choked just saying it, let alone trying to wrap her mind fully around it.

"B-but, we saw no strangle marks!" Yuka cried, just as worked up as Miyu, though reacting in the opposite way. She gestured to their PheFo photos.

"There is more than one way to suffocate a person." Haruna smiled bitterly, then she looked at Miyu. "You were close. It wasn't strangulation. It was suffocation. All it took was a hand over a mouth and a nose, and in less than a minute …" The dying girl was finally dead. "Why do you think I sent you to fetch that second syringe?" Haruna's brown eyes were heartbroken and happy at the same time. "You know that you can't "un-inject" someone by poking a needle in their arm, pulling the plunger, and hoping for the best."

All I needed was a minute or two. That was exactly what Miyu gave me. And why hide it from her? I did not mean to take away her final moments with Kurumi. I still feel so horribly selfish for doing that. But I did not want her to see… I did not want her to be burdened with the truth. She would find out eventually anyway… A look of genuine pain and regret flashed onto Haruna's face.

"If it is of any comfort to anyone, Kurumi assented to the plan…" As perhaps unbelievable as her words sounded, for once, nobody protested, frozen in shock as Haruna continued to confess and confess and confess. If it had been anyone else, maybe there would be more doubt, but why would the Ultimate Chairman lie, especially about something like this? "Monochio, would you be willing to confirm my testimony?"

"It depends on whether or not my confirmation will breach any of the trial rules," it replied calmly. Although it would participate in the trials from time to time, as evidenced by its battle with Miyu, the students were supposed to do most of the grunt-work. And Monochio was less inclined to confirm details that pointed directly to a killer, as its battle with Miyu was merely about the medicine, which could be argued as neutral. It at least wasn't as much of a smoking gun as what Haruna wanted it to confirm. What was Kurumi's last word?

ooo

"I'm sorry, Kurumi, but I can't let Miyu be executed…" Haruna wept as she placed her hands over Kurumi's mouth and nose. At first, the Ultimate Prankster's tan eyes widened in fear, hurt, and betrayal, but when she heard Miyu's name on Haruna's lips, she understood immediately. She still felt the sting of betrayal, another reminder that she was but a third wheel to Haruna and Miyu, but she understood.

I would've done the same for Miiko. She didn't want Miyu or Haruna to be executed, and she couldn't make the decision herself. Haruna could. Such was the ultimate responsibility of the Ultimate Chairman: caring for her charges and making the toughest of decisions for them.

"Good luck," Kurumi whispered. "I'll see you soon, so bye for now… I… I… I love you… Chairman…" With the last of her strength, Kurumi pulled Haruna's hand back over her mouth and nose, a silent blessing for Haruna to finish what was started.

"Who are you calling…?" Haruna couldn't even finish their age-old call-and-response as she pushed some of her weight onto Kurumi's face. She sobbed and shuddered as Kurumi's involuntary convulsions grew weaker and weaker until stopping entirely, forever.

ooo

Monochio ultimately refused to confirm or deny Haruna's testimony one way or the other, but by then, Haruna had said enough.

"Unless… Does anyone think she might be lying to cover Miyu?" Shinobu asked warily. Memories weren't the motive of this murder. Miyu was. Knowing that, who was most likely to commit a murder for her? Miyu sobbed at the thought, but Haruna only met Shinobu's narrow eyes calmly.

"If you want proof, I have one last photo…" Haruna said.

"Next new rule, submit evidentiary photos immediately?" Noa asked.

"I can get behind that," Shinobu nodded grimly, arms crossed.

Haruna held up her PheFo to show a selfie of herself, but there was a tiny speck of blood on her skirt. It was the blood from Kurumi's arm, unintentionally wiped off. Of course, Haruna cleaned it the morning after, but not before documentation. Miyu had seen the bloodstain, though it was hardly anything she thought to pay attention to with a dead Kurumi right there.

I regret that we were unable to force a confession out of anyone, but as long as Miyu and the others are safe, all is not lost…

Shinobu was far from the only one suspecting Haruna of lying to protect Miyu, but as much as Haruna loved Miyu, she was more than just that. As the Ultimate Chairman, she felt responsible for everyone, not just her unit-mates. In the same way Miyu would not allow anyone to die because of her, I never had any intention of tricking the others into giving up their lives for her sake, or mine. Only I will die today.

That was why she was so quick to kill Kurumi. If she waited too long, Miyu would be the murderer, and the only way to save her would've been to lie to the class and get all the rest of them killed. But if Haruna managed to intercede and kill Kurumi instead… A beatific smile spread across her face. Not wishing for anyone else to bear the burden, Haruna volunteered to tell the tale of her own demise.

ooo

"It all started when Monochio informed us of the motive videos. They showed us a life outside of this academy that we'd long since forgotten. It was enough to get us all curious for more. Some more than others… And that was when Monochio told us about the Implememor-Es. The scavenger hunt began well enough, but then something… happened. We will never truly know for sure, but Saki must've… seen something in her Implememor-E, for midway during the hunt, she took flight, racing away from us and to the top floor of the academy.

"As it was still locked, however, it was against the rules for Saki to enter, but she entered anyway and was executed shortly thereafter. Her death, though, was only the beginning. Even though it stunned the rest of us into wishing to avoid further interaction with the memories, one student in particular was still desperate for more: Kurumi Shiratori. She wanted more memories of Miiko; there had been so few of them. Perhaps it was intentional on Monochio's part. In any case, Kurumi had no interest in its secrets, only memories of Miiko.

"And so, in the dead of night, she snuck out of bed, pilfering more Implememor-Es for her own, ulterior motives. I believe Esora found a toy car located near the door of the sixth floor, shedding light on how our Ultimate Prankster was able to circumvent Monochio's rule. I, of course, cannot verify the next part of the story, but I am willing to eager that after Kurumi had the stolen Implememor-Es, she took them to the computer lab to watch them safely only to be attacked by another late-night wanderer, perhaps one who didn't want her seeing those Implememor-Es…

"I don't know how exactly she was attacked, but the damage done to her and her PheFo was enough to trigger an app I and several others set up for her and Miyu's PheFos. This app was designed to detect severe and dangerous changes to the PheFo, and being brutalized certainly qualifies. Alas, by the time Miyu and I arrived, all attackers and weapons were gone, and Kurumi was completely unconscious. That was when I sent Miyu to the nurse's office to fetch some of Monochio's Miracle Medicine while I stayed behind and stabilized Kurumi.

"Alas, as discussed in trial, whatever Kurumi was injected with was nonlethal, so the moment we used Monochio's Medicine for Kurumi's injection, the effects of the injection were reversed, turning them fatal. The Medicine did work as expected on her head injury though, but by then, the influence of the injections were going to override the blunt force trauma. That was when I decided to kill Kurumi myself, and spare Miyu from execution, but first, I needed her to go away for just a minute or two…

"I am sorry, everyone, but this is the only way I knew how to protect her, and all of you, by becoming the murderer myself instead. That is the truth of the case…" Haruna bowed her head at the conclusion of her summary. There were tears in every eye, but none as much as Miyu. Once again, they were reminded of Monochio's warning in orientation. As important as facts of a case were, it was also critical to understand each other's character. Haruna was protective through and through, and she was equally determined to do whatever it took to achieve her ends. Now, this was where they all stood.

AN: Tiny reminder that Mental Motorcycle is D4's version of Logic Dive/Psyche Taxi, though I can also imagine each unit having a different vehicle. Ex: Hapiara in colorful bumper cars, Peaky in hotrods/racecars, Photon in alien saucers, M4 on surfboards, (RONDO keeps the motorcycles), and a carriage or dove for LL.